William m



@uiten iatr gattini @fitta Lenen Patent No. 80,313, dated Juzg 2s, 186s.

IMPROVEMENT IN BoILBR-PLUB PLUGS. y

tite rlgehule aferra in iu time Eaters @nient-ant making part nf itsannu.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON'CERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. SINCLAIR, of the city and county ofBaltimore, in the Statefof Maryland, have invented a' new and usefulImprovement in Boiler-Fluo Plugs for .the stoppage of leaks; and I doVhereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompany-4 ing drawing,through letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 represents, in longitudinalsection, a piece of boiler-tube, as connected with the boiler-plate.

Figure 2 -is a central longitudinal section of a plug, constructedaccording to my invention.

Figure 3 is an inner end view ofthe same.

Figure 4 is an outer end view thereof.

Figure 5, a face and sectional view of a key for securing the plug inplace.

The same letters occurring on the several figures indicate correspondingparts.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe its construction and application, by referring to the drawings,in whichi A represents a portion of the end-sheet of a boiler, throughan aperture in'which the flue-tube Bis riveted, in the ordinary manner,that is to say, having a slight annular swell, 6,0m the inner sident'said sheet', and its cndc turned outwardly against the outer side'thereofl In course of-time, owing to the unequal expansion andcontraction of the parts, and the-intense heat to which the furnace-endof such iiucs is subjected, these connections will become leaky, andwhich commonly occurs suddenly, and whilst the boiler is in use, atwhich time it is essential thatthe leak be immediately stopped, i or theboiler may, in a short time, become inoperative for the production ofthe necessary effective force.`

To'provide a remedy -for this contingency is the object of my invention,and it consists in a simple, cheap, and' eil`ectivc means of stoppingsuch leaks, and which may be applied at any time, whether the'boiler be-hot or cold, i and without stopping the engine, or obstructing thede-surface of such'leaky tube after its application.

C represents a short tubular cylinder, made preferably of malleable castiron, which has formed on its end a flange, D, convex; on its vouterside, and forming an annular gutter, E, on its inner side, for thereception of any suitable packing, in form of a washer or gasket. Thistubular plug is inserted in the end of the flue-tube, extending thereina distance about equal toits diameter; more or less, and is retainedthere by mean f one or more wedges, CZ, driven between lugs e, cast onthe inner side of such tubular plug, and .which plugis formed withlongitudinal slots f, between each pair "of lugs,e, extending from itsinner end, from half to two-thirds of its length, and withcircumferential slQts or apertures g, which admit ofthe free expansionof the cylinder, and

its firm `retention in the fine, by driving home the wedges d.

'InY applying this plug, a gasket or any suitable packing is firstplaced around in 'the channel E, and the plug inserted in the end of theleaky tube by means of a rod or pairof tongs, and pressed home. The keysd may then be inserted in like manner, and driven to a bearing, so thatlthe plug isV expanded to fit Vtightly in the Hue. The plug may then bedriven in, to compress the packing around the cud of the flue, so as tostop the leak, after which the wedges d, being again tightened, willretain it firmly in position.

The advantages of this plug over any other yet in use, are itssimplicity of construction, being castjn one piece; it requires nofinishing; the pair of keys or wedges usually desirable, may be casttogether,- and snapped asunder, and the facility with which it may beinserted, even across a hot fire, renders it a very desirable article iin the hands of all engineers, whether of stationary, locomotive, ormarine engines.

i Having thusdcscribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

L The flanged tubular plug C, constructed with a longitudinal slot orslots,f, between the lugs e, at.its inner end, and a circumferentialslot or slots, g, about in line with the 'end of the slotsf, for use incombination with the wedge or wedges d, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

' WILLIAM M.- SINCLAIR.

Witnesses:

'JosnUA Rueusrun, WM. H. l Bowes.

